Aerobic exercise and yoga hold promises for improving neurocognition and symptom in early psychosis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The current study aims to explore the effects of aerobic exercise and mind-body exercise (yoga) on cognitive function and clinical symptom in female patients with early psychosis. The potential neuromechanism underlying the clinical consequences was also investigated. METHODS: Female patients (n=120) diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and psychotic disorder were recruited from outpatient clinic. They were randomized into integrated yoga therapy group, aerobic exercise programme group, and waiting list as the control group. Both interventions were held three times weekly for 12 weeks. Neuro-cognition and clinical symptom were compared between baseline and 12 weeks among the three groups using repeated measures ANOVA . Structural MRI data was collected in 60 patients and analysed using FreeSurfer V5.1 and Qdec V1.4. RESULTS: Both yoga and aerobic exercise improved verbal memory (p<0.01) and working memory (p<0.01) with moderate to large effect sizes compared to control group. Additionally, yoga group showed enhanced attention and visual-motor coordination (p<0.05). Both yoga and aerobic exercise reduced overall symptom (p<0.05) and depressive symptom (p<0.05) after 12 weeks. Furthermore, yoga increased cortical thickness in post-central gyrus (p<0.001) and aerobic exercise increased cortical thickness in superior frontal gyrus (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Both types of exercise improved cognition in early psychosis patients, with yoga having a superior effect on attention and visual-motor coordination. Observed increments in the cortical thicknesses may indicate improved neurogenesis. The present study indicates possible interventions for cognitive impairments in the patients with early psychosis, which are non-invasive and mostly safe. This project was supported by the Small Project Funding, The University of Hong Kong (Reference No. 201007176229), and General Research Fund (GRF), Hong Kong Research Grants Council (Reference No. C00240 / 762412). ID: 2087194